Celtics Silence the Garden, Dominate Knicks in Game 3 Blowout

Silent MSG

Hopes were sky-high at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night. After two stunning road wins in Boston, the New York Knicks returned home with a commanding 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series against the defending champion Celtics. Fans flooded the Garden and gathered in droves outside at the official watch party, ready to witness more magic.

But the fairytale took a sharp turn.

The 3s start falling for the Celtics

Instead of another gritty comeback or underdog triumph, the Knicks were thoroughly outplayed from start to finish. The Celtics punched back hard, dominating Game 3 with a 115-93 wire-to-wire victory that cut New York’s series lead to 2-1.

Boston’s shot-making was the difference — and it came fast. After shooting just 25 percent from beyond the arc in Games 1 and 2, the Celtics finally found their stroke. They buried the Knicks under a barrage of threes, going 20-of-40 from deep (50 percent). By halftime, Boston had connected on 12-of-19 from long range and held a 71-46 lead.

Payton Pritchard, recently named the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, came off the bench to drain 5-of-10 threes. Every time the Knicks looked poised to make a run, Boston answered — usually with another long-range dagger.

Bad shooting for NY

The Knicks, meanwhile, had a dismal shooting night, going just 5-of-25 (20 percent) from three. They hit only two triples in the first half and never found offensive rhythm. Karl-Anthony Towns and company struggled to keep up as the Celtics imposed their will on both ends.

Game 4 on Monday

Game 4 is set for Monday night at Madison Square Garden (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC). It’s not technically a must-win for New York — but it’s as close as it gets. Another performance like Saturday’s, and the momentum that once belonged to the Knicks could fully swing Boston’s way.